Pit Barrel Cooker (PBC) Appreciation Thread

[Haole Pete]

Well, now I'm kinda embarrassed (as much as I actually can be...)

Had I come across the stainless one and Sako's review first, all of my questions would have been answered.

Thanks Sako, for doing all the legwork! :clap2: OnlyFire is even using your photo...








...of course now I'll have to come up with an alternate solution just to be different... :razz:

 

[TealStBBQKing]

Made my own bacon last night, took some slices before frying today and mmmmm it's pretty good. It cooked really fast which surprised me because I only lit 35 coals (normally I lit 37 and get 260-280° but last night was over 300. Maybe the fattiness of the belly caused some grease flare ups. It was done 150° in like 50minutes

 

[Thingfish]

That bacon looks right!

 

[dadsr4]

I find that I get the best results using the rotisserie on my kettle with the top open. I'd imagine the same holds true for a barrel. Does use more fuel, though.
Doesn't FWIsmoker's drum run without a lid?

 

[Haole Pete]

So how close do you want the rotisserie to the heat?

A kettle vs something on top of a barrel is a several-foot difference.

Looking for crispy chicken/turkey skin....

 

[Haole Pete]

Made my own bacon last night...

:clap2::bow::thumb::hail::clap:

 

[dadsr4]

So how close do you want the rotisserie to the heat?

A kettle vs something on top of a barrel is a several-foot difference.

Looking for crispy chicken/turkey skin....

Based on what I've read here, the highest heat in a PBC happens when the top is off. For crisp skin on chicken, you want high heat. Do a search for FWIsmoker rotisserie barrel cooks. He's the guy selling the Octoforks.

 

[Haole Pete]

Looked at fwi's posts and vids, and yeah, I'm overthinking again. :blabla:

I'm just gonna get the roti-ring and make it work. My concern was that I'm not running wood in my PBC and that charcoal wouldn't be hot enough. (Especially since I'd prefer not to monkey with the PBC intake setting since I've finally got it dialed in just right for 'normal' cooking.)

Anyhoo, if the roti's not hot enough on the PBC, I'll figure out a way to make it fit on my Keg. THAT bastage will be able to put out the BTU's... :razz:

 

[dadsr4]

Looked at fwi's posts and vids, and yeah, I'm overthinking again. :blabla:

I'm just gonna get the roti-ring and make it work. My concern was that I'm not running wood in my PBC and that charcoal wouldn't be hot enough. (Especially since I'd prefer not to monkey with the PBC intake setting since I've finally got it dialed in just right for 'normal' cooking.)

Anyhoo, if the roti's not hot enough on the PBC, I'll figure out a way to make it fit on my Keg. THAT bastage will be able to put out the BTU's... :razz:

There are some posts on raising the fire basket on the PBC, which would get the heat closer.
I seem to remember FWIsmoker saying that he believes that air is pulled down from the top of the barrel as well as through the vents. I did once forget to open the bottom vents on my kettle and it made no difference in a rotisserie cook. My setup is homemade and it fits about as well as the one in the pic you posted.

 

[ssv3]

Sorry boys been overseas for a bit and still have a few weeks before I return home. I can't reply as fast as I usually do.:-D


Onlyfire sent me their roti for review and it's designed for Weber grills. It has come down in price quite a bit and is a good alternative to the Weber roti. I just slapped it on the PBC and there is a good sized gap hence the foil. I was going to fab a ring to cover the gap but I ended up using my Jumbo Joe more with the roti.

With the roti there is a noticeable difference the times I used it on the PBC and I wasn't the only one that tasted the difference either. Noah and I were on the phone during the times I was experimenting the roti PBC set up and I suggested for him to offer a roti accessory but he wasn't sold on it. He felt that the PBC convection effect establishes the same results but like I said there was a difference and I wasn't the only one that noticed it. IIRC he said maybe down the road sometime.

 

[ssv3]

I'll post some more pics and details later. because their taking my wifi away :becky:

 

[unixadm]

Second cook using PBC

Today I'm doing my second cook on the PBC. This time it's a pretty small chuck roast. I trimmed it a bit, rinsed, rubbed with some EVO and then gave it a moderate coating of PBC Beef and Game Rub. I tried this rub on a burger I made last night and it is very good. It smells great, much better than I was expecting to be honest.

I'm going to cook to 165, then wrap with some beef stock and cook until probe tender. I plan to pull, slightly season and then put a slight crisp on the flat top when making fried tacos for dinner.

I have a mix of KBB, KBB Hickory and a little Wicked Good lump I had laying around that I'm trying to burn through. I put two fire bricks in the charcoal basket and am running a little over half the basket of charcoal. Started a near full chimney of KBB in the PBC chimney I received today. Cooker is holding around 312 degrees right now, slowly settling. Meat is already up to 82 degrees internal temp. Monitoring with my first generation Tappecue,

 

[Haole Pete]

There are some posts on raising the fire basket on the PBC, which would get the heat closer.

D'oh! Of course! :doh:

Hell, i got 2 different grate levels now in my PBC, for 3 potential firebox heights. This can be made to work! :thumb:

And i've been racking my brain on how to lower the rotisserie....

 

[dadsr4]

D'oh! Of course! :doh:

Hell, i got 2 different grate levels now in my PBC, for 3 potential firebox heights. This can be made to work! :thumb:

And i've been racking my brain on how to lower the rotisserie....

Do you have a thermometer to measure the temp at the height of the rotisserie with the lid off? If it's 450 degrees or more, it's plenty hot with the current basket location. An open barrel is basically the same configuration as a charcoal chimney, which is quite warm..

 

[Haole Pete]

Do you have a thermometer to measure the temp at the height of the rotisserie with the lid off? If it's 450 degrees or more, it's plenty hot with the current basket location. An open barrel is basically the same configuration as a charcoal chimney, which is quite warm..

Got the thermometer(s). Maverick probes. Been keeping them away from the PBC ever since I got the vent adjusted as I'm trying to embrace the whole 'no worries' aspect. (I tend to be anal if you haven't guessed :wink

ALMOST bought a bbq thermometer today at Lowes to drill and mount to the PBC but forced myself to put it back....

 

[dadsr4]

Got the thermometer(s). Maverick probes. Been keeping them away from the PBC ever since I got the vent adjusted as I'm trying to embrace the whole 'no worries' aspect. (I tend to be anal if you haven't guessed :wink

ALMOST bought a bbq thermometer today at Lowes to drill and mount to the PBC but forced myself to put it back....

If you saw my rotisserie setup, you would stop worrying so much. It's one step up from cooking over a campfire. Lots of air flow, no temperature control. I've cooked roasts, legs of lamb, chickens, and sausages, basically anything I could get a spit through. Charcoal, all wood fires, meat revolving on a spit is quite forgiving. It is constantly moving away from the heat, so it gets a rest, whatever the temp.

 

[unixadm]

Two hours in, almost time to add to a pan and wrap. I'm out of beef stock, !@#$!$!!!!! I'm going to use rub and something familiar to most guys, beer.

Temps with a bit of lump definitely run a bit higher but overall, the roast looks great.

 

[unixadm]

Into a pan with beer and rub. Going to cook to around 200 degrees. Took about 2:40 to hit 165 degrees.

The only pain is trying to use the grate. Moving the rebar, etc. Not a big deal. So far, it's looking good IMO!

 

[locosmoke]

My first cook is done I'm sold on this pit barrel cooker it was so easy!

 

[Haole Pete]

Two hours in, almost time to add to a pan and wrap. I'm out of beef stock, !@#$!$!!!!! I'm going to use rub and something familiar to most guys, beer.

It's already made of beef! Beer is the way to go :becky:

My first cook is done I'm sold on this pit barrel cooker it was so easy!

Saw your pix in Q-talk -- looks good!